Mavs Donuts: Odom Trade Piece? ''L.O.A.F.'

Fish and David Lord

05/25/2012

We've begun exploring ways the Mavs might use Lamar Odom's mostly-vanishing contract as a potential trade asset, as it can allow the Mavs to help another team erase a significant amount of future salary. We've also been working on the shorthand acronym for the trade piece. Meet 'L.O.A.F.'!

With a 2011-12 salary of $8.9M (all of which has already been paid), Odom could be traded alone in June for a player whose salary is as large as $11.22M this season (already paid) and whose salary next season could therefore be up to $12.06M. The other team would only have to pay Odom $2.4M next season as a buyout. In the ideal scenario, that would shave almost $10M off their cap and payroll.

In the 2011 CBA world of tight budgets, that much savings might prove to be a great enticement for someone, if the Mavs are willing to swallow the added salary required.
If the Mavs were able to persuade Odom to move the buyout deadline to mid-July, they would gain added flexibility in the ability to use Odom's contract either in a sign-and-trade (like the Stack Chip was used for Marion) or for a salary dump (like The DUST Chip was used for Chandler).

In July, the potential savings for the other team could be even greater - if the Mavs stay tax-free they could swap Odom's $8.2M 2012-13 contract using the new 150% trade-matching rule and take back $12.4M, offering a full $10M in savings.

It's not quite a pure vanishing, like the DUST chip was, but it's almost. Almost fairydust, let's say, especially in that at first glance it does seem a bit, well, fanciful.

DONUT 3: So, it's "L.O.A.F.'' ...

The "Lamar Odom Almost Fairydust'' Piece. "LOAF.'' It works on the slangy double-entendre level as it certainly fits Lamar Odom's on-court legacy as a Mav.

So there's our shorthand, like DUST before it.
For future reference, let's call it The "Lamar Odom Almost Fairydust'' Piece, or "The LOAF.''

We mentioned earlier this week that we can in a sense offer a defense of Dwight Howard's dingy approach to leadership in his Orlando organization, because with so many chiefs, maybe there really isn't much leadership.

Now comes word that the Magic is willing to trade Dwight, or planning to trade Dwight ... but that they are or are not thinking of doing so before or after the hiring of a GM.

Or maybe they are thinking of hiring a Dwight-friendly GM.

There is a void in Orlando. ... and maybe a situation to be taken advantage of for Orlando's foes.

DONUT 6: Award Season ...

Dirk makes All-NBA (third team) for the 12th straight time. (Someone needs to inform the SI.com Deron "source'' of this, as Nowitzki represents the finest player/person Deron could ever dream of playing alongside).

Hey, how about Dallas going after this big-name guy or that big-name guy if his team wants to dump him due to his bloated salary?

A rule of thumb here regarding our educated guess on what the Mavs want to do in that regard: They aren't going to pursue bad contracts or even huge contracts unless the prize is a franchise-changer.

That's why we're tempted to place guys like Kevin Martin and Okafor atop that iffy list ... the price is high and the prize isn't a franchise-changer.

So when we're playing "What-If'' games: If the guy isn't a franchise-changer, he's going to have to be either affordable or short-term. As much as we're concerned about "The
Dirk Nowitzki Era,'' there is the era after that to be concerned about as well.

Good rules of thumb for the Educated-Guessing Games to come.

DONUT 10: So you want to trade Dirk WHY AGAIN? ...
The sicko "Trade Dirk'' Movement? Because you love him but not the Mavs? Because you don't trust where they can all go together? Because you want to see Dirk win another title with the Lakers?

Are you a troll? A lunatic? Or the sort of worrywart fan who desires a seatbeat while atop the toilet?

It's May 25. The Draft and free agency is more than a month away ... and you're already counting out the 12-straight-playoff-seasons defending champs' ability to be competitive?!

Buckle up, sicko.

DONUT 11: Deron at the Four Seasons ...

As we write this, our spies have identified Deron Williams playing golf in Las Colinas as the Four Seasons.

No truth to the rumor that Mark Cuban is carrying his bags.

DONUT 12: The Final Word ...

Borrowing from Orlando's Shaq idea, we hear Buffalo is interviewing O.J. Simpson to be the Bills GM.